Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Dog Days Are Over

The Dog Days are Over.

No more bullying. No more speaking out of pride. No more using our words and actions to bring others down and build ourselves up. No more. The dog days are over.

Look around your world. Look around your community. As you walk through the grocery. As you drive down the street. As you go about your business at work. Look around. Take in the faces. Realize the devastation that surrounds you.

Bullying is real.

"Sticks and stones may hurt my bone but words will never hurt me"

LIES!

Ask the kid who's mom just told him he is worthless. Ask the boy that was laughed off the bus. Ask the girl who sits alone at school every single day. Ask the boy who has red hair. Or the girl that towers over her classmates. Or the co-worker with the funny accent that some how becomes the butt of every joke. Or the boy that sings too high. Ask the guy in your class that is gay. Or the christian. Or the muslim. Or the Jew. Ask the girl that is too black, too white or too ugly to be acknowledged. Ask the family from the Middle East. Or the kid that is quiet or smart or slow. Ask the 16 yr old carrying her child. Ask the girl with tattoos or the guy with the piercings.

An endless list of judgements, assumptions and harshness.

Real stories of real people with real feelings.

It isn't kidding. It isn't 'kids being kids'. It isn't funny.

The dog days are over.

Help save lives.

Take back happiness.

Deliver kindness.

Show love.

Let us not use our words (or actions) to bring others down. Face your insecurities and prejudices. Make an effort to share love.

Bullying is real. It happens every day.

Are you a bully?

Do you make assumptions?

Do you make biased judgements?

And act on them?

Do you speak harsh words to make yourself feel better?

Do you turn a blind eye when you see it happening?

Do you wash your hands of it?

My encouragement is this:

End the dog days. Speak love. Share love.

Don't be a bully and don't turn your head to hide your face when it happens right in front of you.

Be intentional.

Kindess doesn't have to be random.

Take a stand.

LOVE

**This post was inspired by Pentatonix on The Sing-Off. They chose to spend time volunteering for a suicide prevention organization for bullied teens.**